A mission to the sun

In keeping with all things solar following the launch of the Parker Probe on Sunday, Netflix has announced that the sci-fi series “Nightflyers” will be streaming outside the US sometime next year.

Based on the novella by George R R Martin, “Nightflyers” follows eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath who embark on an expedition to the edge of our solar system aboard The Nightflyer in the hope of making contact with alien life.

But when terrifying and violent events begin to take place they start to question each other – and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought.

Martin also serves as an executive producer and the 10-part series is being co-produced by Universal Cable Productions and Netflix. Jeff Buhler wrote the adaptation for television.

Gretchen Mol from “Boardwalk Empire” is set to star as Dr Agatha Matheson alongside Eoin Macken (“The Night Shift”) as Karl D’Branin and David Ajala (“Fast & Furious 6”) as Roy Eris. The series will also star Sam Strike as Thale, Maya Eshet as Lommie, Angus Sampson as Rowan, Jodie Turner-Smith as Melantha Jhirl and Brian F O’Byrne as Auggie.

In 1981, “Nightflyers” won the Locus Award for best novella and the Analog Readers Poll for best novella/novelette, and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novella. The novella was also the recipient of the 1983 Seiun Award in Japan for foreign short fiction.